Urban Geography

Urban The built-up, non-rural area and its

population Includes recently developed suburbs Better picture of a metro area than just

the political city boundary

Urban Geography

Urbanization’s Cost in China

Rank-Size Rule Urban hierarchy True in some regions

Largest city

2nd Larges

t

3rd Large

st

1/2

1/3

12 million

6 million

4 million

Primate City In some regions… A large and

exceptionally influential city

The next largest city is much smaller and with much less influence

Often a result of… ta-da!... Colonialism!

Examples of Primate Cities

Mexico City, Mexico Manila, Philippines London Paris

Central Place Theory

Walter Christaller – 1920s Explains the location patterns of urban

areas Similar to…???

Weber’s Least Cost Theory for

manufacturing and industry

Von Thunen’s model of rural agricultural land

use

Quick Draw!

Place a circle on your paper about the size of a quarter – the center of this circle is your neighborhood and the surrounding part in West Linn

Draw a medium-sized circle around “West Linn” – this is the economic area connected to West Linn, like Clackamas and Bridgeport

Draw three more medium circles further out and not connected to West Linn

Chritsaller’s Central Place Theory

Economic relationships between cities and their hinterlands (areas further away)

Christaller’s assumptions:› People will purchase goods from the

closest place› When demand for a good is high, it will be

offered in close proximity to the population

Chritsaller’s Central Place Theory

Areas of a central place are ranked by size:› Hamlet› Village› Town› City› Regional Capital

Chritsaller’s Central Place Theory

Low-order goods – things that are replenished frequently (like food)› Purchased often› Smaller businesses can survive selling low-

order goods in smaller towns outside large city

Chritsaller’s Central Place Theory

High-order goods – specialized items bought less frequently (cars, furniture, fine jewelry)› Business often cannot survive in smaller towns› Must locate in a big city with more people to buy

Chritsaller’s Central Place Theory

Each of these central places are located at the point where equilateral triangles connect

Creates equidistant connections to high-order goods

Creates a system of centers of various sizes

Each center will supply particular types of goods

Central Place Theory

Threshold – the minimum number of people required to support a business

Range – the travel time it takes a consumer to reach the business

Central Place Theory: Implications

The larger the settlements are in size, the fewer in number they will be› there are many small villages, but few

large cities.

Central Place Theory: Implications

The larger the settlements, the greater the distance between them› villages are usually found close together,

while cities are spaced much further apart.

Central Place Theory: Implications

As a settlement increases in size, the range and number of its functions will increase

Central Place Theory: Implications

As a settlement increases in size, the number of higher-order services will also increase

Urban Hierarchy

Mid-sized citiesSome high-order goods, fewer, further apart

Small cities, towns, villagesLow-order goods, small, a lot of them, close together

Central Place

A city or town that provides goods and services to the surrounding population

People travel to a central place for goods and services

Central Place Function

A good or service that a central place provides

Market Area

The area of consumers for a particular good or service

people travel from a market area

Central Place Theory

Geographic model and location patterns of central places that sell goods and services to hexagonal-shaped market areas

Vocab Review

Central Place Theory High-order and Low-order goods Central place Market area Central place function Threshold Range

Central Place TheoryFarmer’s shopping preferences

in southwest Iowa

Food

Hospitals

Legal services

Write an explanation of why we see different patterns in these maps. Use the following terms in your answer:

•Central place theory•Central place•Market area•Threshold•Range•High-order goods•Low-order goods

Central Place Theory:Is it obsolete?

Many new technologies since the 1920s› Interstate highway system› Internet› Changes in retail markets (big box stores)

Central Place Theory:Case Study

Sun Belt phenomenon› Millions of Americans have migrated south

over the past 4o years

Apply Central Place Theory:

What would happen to some southern cities?

Know the Concepts

Why do cities and towns form where they do?

Resource node – close to resources

Transport node – at an intersection of lines of transportation

Gold

Types of cities

Megacity or Supercity – very large city.

Megalopolis – Several large supercities that have merged to form a very large urban region.

World city (global city) – serve an important node in global economic system

Megalopolis Examples

Megalopolis Examples

“Blue Banana” – the economic core of the European Union

Types of cities

World city (global city) – serve an important node in global economic system

Alpha++ cities are vastly more integrated with the global economy than any other cities.

Alpha+ cities complement Alpha++ cities by linking them to major economic regions.

World Cities

Cate gory Cities

Al pha++• London• New York City

Al pha+

• Hong Kong• Paris•Singapore• Shanghai• Tokyo• Beijing• Sydney• Dubai

Megacity Examples

A total population of more than 10 million› Tokyo, Japan› Seoul, South Korea› Mumbai, India› New York› Los Angeles

Urban Sprawl

Unrestricted growth of urban areas in many U.S. cities

Los Angeles

Urban Sprawl

Urban Sprawl

Phoenix

Las Vegas urbanization

U.S. Dept of Interior:These progressive geo-referenced databases of urban land use change are developed by merging information from historic maps, census statistics, commerce records, remotely sensed data, and digital land use data.

Suburbanization in America Movement to outer edges of cities Has been going on since the end of

WWII

Things that supported suburbanization:• Automobiles• 40 hour work week• Baby boom after the war

created a high demand for family housing

• Federal home loans like the G.I. Bill

Urban Sprawl in America:The hungry monster

Key Statistics Of Urban Sprawl

 Between 1982 and 1997 America converted approximately 25 million acres (39,000 square miles) of rural land to developed land

Urban Sprawl in America:The hungry monster

Key Statistics Of Urban Sprawl  Over a 20-year period (1970-1990), the

100 largest Urbanized Areas in the United States sprawled an additional 14,545 square miles.

That’s more than 9 million acres of › natural habitats, › farmland› and other rural space› covered over by the asphalt, buildings and sub-

divisions of suburbia.

Urban Sprawl

Megalopolis of northeastern United States

Conurbation› A region of several large cities,

towns and suburbs merged to form one large urban area

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Conversion of agricultural land to residential

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Single-use zoning› Separate areas for residential, retail,

industrial

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Low-density zoning› Houses with big lawns› One-story commercial buildings with spaces in

between

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Automobile dependency› Little or no public

transportation› Fewer sidewalks

because people don’t walk to stores and other places

More Sprawl = More Cars

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Job sprawl› Businesses relocate to the suburbs because of

more affordable low-density areas

Characteristics of Urban Sprawl

Types of development› Housing

developments› Strip malls› Shopping malls› Fast food chains

Negative Impact of Urban Sprawl

Environmental impact Because of…???

Negative Impact of Urban Sprawl

Human health impact Because of…???

Negative Impact of Urban Sprawl

Decreased social capital Because of…???

Negative Impact of Urban Sprawl

Spatial mismatch – economic inequality Because of…???

Functional Zones

The purpose of a certain area of a city Examples:

› CBD (central business district)› Industrial Zone

Central City The urban area that is not suburban

Models of North American Cities

Concentric Zone ModelBurgess

Chicago in the 1920sUrban zones grow around the

CBD

Sector Model

HoytZones grow outward from the

core

Multiple Nuclei Model

Harris & UllmanAs zones expand, the CBD loses its dominant position

New centers develop

Multiple Nuclei Model

Harris & UllmanAs zones expand, the CBD loses its dominant position

New centers develop

Edge City Large suburb outside the CBD that

develops its own economic core› Large shopping center› Industrial/Business park› Office complexes› Hotels› Entertainment

Loose Definition of Edge City

Is perceived by the population as one place.

Has more jobs than bedrooms. Was nothing like a "city" as recently as

30 years ago. Then it was just bedrooms, if not cow pastures.

“Bedroom Community” – Young suburb with mainly residential housing

Examples of Edge Cities

Examples of Edge Cities

Galactic City Model

Edge cities that are connected each other and the core by highways or freeways

How do cities respond to urban growth?

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Controls urban expansion onto farm and forestry land (sprawl)

› Under Oregon law, each city or metropolitan area has an urban growth boundary that separates urban land from rural use.

› The boundary controls urban expansion onto farm and forest lands.

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Keeps urban core vital› Because of limited land for new

developments, businesses are motivated to use current buildings instead of leaving them empty

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Helps businesses and local governments plan for infrastructure

› Since cities and towns know that outlying farm lands cannot be developed, they can plan for roads and utilities more effectively within the core

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Encourages more efficient development and use of infrastructure

› Instead of putting money and time into creating more and more roads leaving the core, local governments can put resources into making current roads and services more effective.

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Encourages long-term planning› Portland’s urban growth plan is defined

through 2040.

Case Study: Portland Urban growth boundary

› Benefits of Portland’s 2040 Growth Concept: Promotes efficient land use by directing most

development to existing urban centers Promotes a balanced transportation system

—biking, walking, public transit, and driving Builds complete communities by providing

shopping and jobs near where people live